Rensselaer Plateau Regional Conservation Plan

Only a half hour east of Troy and Albany in central Rensselaer County is the fifth largest forested region in New York State, the Rensselaer Plateau. Over 105,000 acres of large blocks of hemlock, spruce, beech, maple and other vegetation more typical of the Adirondacks provide habitat for animals of the north country as black bear, fisher, otter, bobcat, and moose. Because the Plateau rises in elevation fairly steeply to 1,000 to 1,800 feet, its climate is cooler than areas around it. Snows last longer and the growing season is shorter. If you have visited Grafton Lakes or Cherry Plain State Parks or Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center, you have enjoyed recreation and nature study on the Rensselaer Plateau.

In addition to unique wildlife, the Plateau supports the headwaters of seven watersheds as the Poesten Kill which all drain into the Hudson River. The term "Kill" is Dutch for stream and reflects our area's Dutch colonial history. The Tomhannock Reservoir provides drinking water for Troy and over 100,000 Rensselaer County residents. Part of its watershed is also on the Plateau, and is another example of the Plateau's importance in giving our area clean drinking water. The forests provide cover for the soil to prevent erosion and allow ground water to recharge slowly rather than have eroding and muddy surface run-off.

Besides contributing to the water cycle, the Plateau wetlands are important habitat areas. Hemlock-hardwood swamps, black spruce-tamarack bogs, fens, and sedge meadows are some of the diverse wetlands found there. Bogs are wetlands which get their water from rain or snow and not from groundwater or a stream or other source running into them. Because of this, bogs are usually low in nutrients and only plants as sphagnum moss, carnivorous plants and others adapted to low nutrients and acid conditions can grow there. The acidic nature of the water is enhanced by the acid forming peat mosses. A fen is like the opposite of a bog in that groundwater or other sources bring it more nutrients allowing a more diverse plant population than a bog to live there and making the water basic rather than acidic. The Plateau has examples of both bogs and fens.

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Wide-ranging mammals as moose need contiguous forest with a mix of forest and wetland to supply them with the 40 to 60 pounds of plants they eat each day. A moose can travel over 25 miles to meet its browse needs. The Plateau has a low density of roads which minimize habitat fragmentation. Forest products as lumber, firewood, and maple syrup are economically important on the Plateau and help sustain habitat for wildlife.

On Thursday, March 21, at 6 p.m., the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance, a group of organizations and individuals with interest in conserving the forested character of the Plateau, will present to the public a Regional Conservation Plan at the Grafton VFW. Visit their web site, www.rensselaerplateau.org to see images of how this part of nature sustains so many uses. Officials of towns on or part of the plateau have already received copies of the plan. The purpose of the plan is to identify areas of interest ecologically and economically as well as important to the communities involved. Tools as an explanation of the USDA's Forest Legacy Program are outlined which those involved on the plateau as landowners, municipalities, or interested organizations can use to enable them to conserve the plateau's natural resources and continue to enjoy sustainable use in this unique area of Nature's Notebook.

Sandy de Waal Malefyt is a local nature enthusiast and science teacher.